A normal human heart has four chambers. Each chamber has a valve: the tricuspid, the mitral, the aortic, and the pulmonary. As the heart muscle contacts, the mitral and tricuspid valves close and the pulmonary and aortic valves open, directing blood to flow in one direction. When one or more valves do not work properly, they might need to be repaired or replaced.
The causes of heart valve malfunction are numerous, and can include congenital malformation or acquired heart disease. Artificial heart valves were the first mechanical replacements of a natural organism in a human.
Pioneering heart surgeon Dr. Charles Hufnagel (1916-1989) began working on the developed of artificial heart valves in 1947, and the first clinical implantation occurred in 1952. The patient's natural valve was left in place and the mechanical valve was placed in the descending aorta, aiding the damaged valve.
Many artificial heart valves were developed in the early 1960s. This Magovern-Cromie caged ball valve was first implanted in a patient in 1962. It was developed by Dr. George Magovern of the University of Pittsburgh and engineer Harry Cromie. The struts and the small hooks are made of titanium. The hooks at the base of the valve replaced the need for sutures and shortened the time of the operation. Thousands of Magovern-Cromie artificial valves were manufactured and implanted until production ceased in 1980.
This 23mm Carpentier-Edwards Perimount Magna aortic heart valve is a tri-leaflet design. The frame or stent is made from Eligiloy, a strong and durable alloy, and tissue from bovine pericardium. The silicone rubber sewing ring is covered with polyester woven fabric.
The valve is housed in a sealed round plastic jar in a sterilized solution. Two pages of product literature, implant patient registration, plus the jar are housed in a square pliable plastic box.
This 27mm Carpentier Edwards mitral artificial heart valve is a tri-leaflet stented design made with bovine pericardium. The valve has been sterilized and is housed in a sealed plastic jar.